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CHAPTER 33| KYLE
A THICK OBNOXIOUS CLOUD OF SMOKE filled The Roxy's stage as Slater walked in, discarded bar stools and pint glasses scattered everywhere as we all hid behind the crimson red velvet curtain, just waiting for my single. I was peering from the small opening of the heavy curtain and Evelyn had shortly escaped Slater as they walked in exclaiming that she needed to pee and that she'd meet him in the hall whilst simultaneously knocking his rather large black framed glasses off of his nose in a panic to meet me and the guys. We had invited Slater's friends, his foster parents Jae and Claudette and a few other people that we knew knowing how Slater felt about crowds and how uneasy he was when it came to meeting people. "SURPRISE!" We all yelled erupting from the curtain making Slater (the clumsy man that he is) shriek in terror almost falling over.
"Surprise! Happy birthday." I smiled simply handing him a relatively large box unwrapped with the words "TO SLATER, HAPPY 22nd BIRTHDAY!" scribbled messily on the box. I didn't have time and he probably guessed because he laughed throatily seeing the outer box was screwed up and practically falling apart, only a few pieces of sellotape holding it firmly in place. Without wasting any time he ripped open the box revealing a matte black rolleiflex camera, his eyes grew wide and his lips parted feeling the antique brown leather.
"Kyle are you fucking with me right now?" He exclaimed ignoring the fact that his glasses were falling off of his nose. His hands trembled with shock, his gaze not moving from the camera. He almost didn't even flinch when Claudette hit the back of his head saying to ''mind his language" and how he shouldn't be speaking in the manner that he was. He apologised gruffly before turning to me again. "Did you really buy this? For me?"
"Slater, don't ask me questions just say thank you." I laughed suddenly feeling his arms wrap around my torso his curls practically being shoved up my nose in the process. He murmured a collection of thank yous before hanging the brown leather straps around his neck.
"You're the best, Ky." His smile was so wide I was almost afraid his dimples would turn into wrinkles and his jaw would fall off.
"I know, now go enjoy your party. Oh Arlo said that he and Silus were coming by later, they had to go pick up your surprise." His smile wavered slightly but he nodded going over to where Evan, Claudette, Kathryn and Jae were conversing about God knows what.
"That was sweet of you." Evelyn's silk voice erupted from behind me, her arm wrapped around my waist with a wide smile.
"Because I'm a sweet guy, duh." I smiled wrapping my arms around her waist pulling her close to me, her body pressed onto mine. A shrill laugh escaped her lips knocking her head back sarcastically.
"You're hilarious. Honestly. Are you a comedian?"
Rolling my eyes I pressed my lips against hers raking my hands through her soft hair, her dark waves softly hit her slim shoulders and her homemade fringe that she had cut (despite everyone - even Kathryn saying that she should go to the hairdressers instead) bounced across my forehead that tickling me. They were choppy and the blonde had long gone, her natural dark waves shone in the light. She looked beautiful. "I'm not a comedian, no. But I am yours."
Her cheeks flushed red as Kathryn cooed (rather loudly) behind us. Eve pushed her head into my chest muttering a rather colourful selection of curse words mainly saying 'I hate you' to me. "No you don't." I whispered back looking back up at Kathryn. "Must you be embarrassing all the time?" I asked rather intrigued.
"Um excuse me, mister. Don't you sass me. When were you two planning on telling me you're together?" She gasped rocking her daughter, Charlotte. "I'm offended. After I tend to your broken face neither of you say anything?"
"We weren't together then that's why, dumbass." I grunted with a glare only to get an elbow to my ribs.
"Kyle, don't swear in front of a child. That's bad." She frowned, her lower lip protruding. She looked cute to say the least, her back turned to me as she played with Charlotte. "You're adorable."
"I'm sorry, baby."
She rolled her eyes continuing to play with Charlotte. "As cute as Charlotte is, can I steal my girlfriend back for 10 minutes, please Kathy?" I asked without letting either of them answer I took Evelyn towards the back wanting to show her the rooms I had Victor clean out for Evelyn which was once a storage room, the upstairs or the Roxy had a fully functioning bathroom and Kitchen that I had Jae help me with after deciding to put his handyman skills to good use. He had told me when I stayed at his once how he had done carpentry back home in Korea and Claudette would worry too much when he tried to fix things in the house.
"Where are we going?" She frowned. I said nothing just kept my hands firmly placed over her eyes wanting to see everything. We walked around the winding walkways until we finally got upstairs.
"It's a surprise." I said ominously finally removing my hands from her eyes. I had attempted to replicate our fort in the bedroom, this time making sure they hadn't thrown out the bed, decorated it with her fairy lights. "Ta-da!" I exclaimed waiting for her to gasp.
"It's our fort," She murmured quietly, fingering the blankets across the bed, picking up a small note that I had left on her bed for her. "What's this?" She asked curiously holding up the crumpled yellowing paper.
"Don't read that, not yet anyway." I brushed past her putting the note in the back pocket of her jeans. "It's a surprise." I paused. "What do you think, comfy right?" Laying back on her new bed I smiled.
She sat next on the bed also but at the edge of it, her smile wavered as she gnawed on her lower lip. "You don't like it?"
"No, no. I do. It's beautiful-" She began.
"That's not even the best bit, there's a bathroom and perfectly functional kitchen - just need to fix a few things in there still but the view is amazing." I spoke pointing to the crimson sky.
"Did you really want me gone that badly?" She frowned, allowing a curtain of waves to fall in her face to stop me from looking at her.
"Baby," I moved quickly, quietly sitting in front of her, one hand on her leg the other on her hand. "If I could take you with me every second and every moment of the day, I would. I don't want to loose you either. I'm not kicking you out of the apartment, Eve. You've made it feel like a home. Why would I ever want that gone?" Kissing her temple I pushed her hair back behind her ears trailing a few kisses over her closed eyes and cold nose. "This place is yours whenever you want it, even if you get tired of me and decide to dump my sorry ass it's yours. To be frank with you, I kinda enjoy coming home to you especially after a shit day and us just sit and talk looking out on the balcony and you going on about Anna and Jace. And how you keep theorising that Andy and Victor are crushing on each other. I love coming home and seeing you curled up on our bed with the book you're reading still in your hands as if your fatigue has betrayed you. It's the cutest thing ever. So don't think it'd ever willingly want you gone, you've become my everything."
"Thank you." She murmured moving her lips against mine, pulling me close to her, her arms coiled around my neck. I quickly responded to her movements guiding her back on the bed, allowing our bodies to mould together and become one. Our bodies matched each other's movements as a fiery sensation tingled my skin. I wanted her. No. I needed to pull away before we got too far out of hand.
"We should stop." I said after a moment letting each other catch each other's breath. Something flashed in her grey eyes but it went away so quickly. Did I do something wrong? "Not that I don't want to carry on, because fuck yes I do. But we can't for three reasons, the first being it's Slater's birthday and I feel like someone - probably Griffin - will walk in on us." She nodded understandingly although I still hadn't moved.
"You're not mad, are you?"
"No, Kyle. I'm not mad, I'm okay. I promise." She laughed heartily but I still felt unconvinced. I lowered the arm that was supporting me so that I leaned my body against hers. She gasped feeling the way how my body had reacted to hers.
"Yes, so please do not doubt me." I groaned standing up. Almost mad at myself but keeping the reasons in my head. She nodded sitting up, I had almost laughed. Her lips were bruised and swollen, her dark hair stuck in many directions and my top that she was wearing had untucked themselves from her jeans and crumpled. "At least we can christen the place now," I winked.
Her she's flushed, choosing not to respond to that she said "Wait, when did you do all this?"
"I've been meaning to fix this place up, Victor's exes wife's brother just so happens to be my uncle who gave me this place. Well, the upstairs. When he died he gave this place to me - just to clarify it's not the same uncle that fucked Christa. " I quickly added and she nodded in acceptance.
"And the camera?"
I laughed, "Bidding war on eBay a couple of months ago. It was supposed to be part of my collection but I knew how obsessed he is with cameras." Lie. Okay the truth was it was a couple of weeks ago on a drunken decision after Christa came over to visit whilst Eve was at work but I didn't want her to find out, not yet at least. Nothing happened luckily but I still hadn't found a correct way of explaining what had happened without making it sound like I was cheating or without sounding like a complete and utter fuckboy. I wanted to earn her respect, trust and eventually love not tarnish it and burn the bridges before they were even made.
Wait. Did I just say love?
I furiously shook my head enveloping my hand in hers. "We had better head back downstairs." She reluctantly agreed trailing behind me as we made our way back to the hall. Slater was laughing with Matt and Evan in the corner and Charlotte along with Griffin were running around the hall. "You really do act like a big kid, Griff." I chuckled. Letting go of Evelyn's hand I bent down just as Charlotte ran into my arms.
Her blonde curls were pulled back into tiny buns tired together with a small bright red ribbon, her matching red and white dress flailing behind her. A loud giggle escaped her lips. "Uncle!" She cried giving me a hug. She was only three but the most adorable thing after Eve of course. She had the smallest button nose and a small but sharp gab between her teeth that would probably close by the time all of her teeth came in.
"Lottie!"Yelling in the same tone. "Where's your mum?"
"Mummy went to take Slater's Daddy and Mummy home." She said distracted pulling away from me just to run after Griffin again. Evelyn had left me to go and join the other boys.
BUZZ
BUZZ
BUZZ
My phone vibrated loudly as if demanding attention. Sighing I slid it open revealing several text messages.
SENT FROM: ARLO
Mate, on our way back now. Slater's party looking alive still, right?
Sent at 18:45pm
_______
SENT FROM ARLO
WOAH. you're worse than Slater. You really don't respond quickly, do you?
Sent at 18:55pm
________
SENT FROM CHRISTA
I think we have more to talk about, Kyle. Things we just shouldn't talk about so publicly.
Sent at 19.07
_____
SENT FROM ARLO
PULLING UP, see you in a bit
Sent 1 minute ago
__________
"Im here, I know you all missed me."Arlo yelled into the semi quiet room making Slater jump in process.
"Bitchface!" Slater grinned greeting him and Silus.
"Don't forget me." A deep brooding voice called from behind the doors. A rather tall man with a slender face walked in. His eyes were a greenish grey and his nose was a blushing pink.
"E!" Slater's smile widened again hugging them all before turning to introduce them all. "Guys this is Silus and E-"
"Ezra?" Eve's face paled as if she had seen a ghost. Her lips parted as she took a step forward. Wait Ezra? Like Evelyn's brother Ezra?
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DUN. DUN. DUUUUN.
Sorry, it's shorter than I wanted but a hot water burst on me and real talk boiling hot water scolded my face, chest and arms so I'm in a shit ton of pain and praying that my face doesn't scar or scar too badly. (It's all swollenl and raised etc.) but not bad enough or painful enough to visit a hospital. 😐 ugh
But anyway what do you guys think? (About the chapter btw.) at the top is Ezra